Divine Blood
by xxIAmTheSkyxx
Summary: When the paths of the castaway warrior of the heavens and the earthly maiden of true sight crossed, the Fates set the journey to the end of an era into motion—and a cataclysmic battle would erupt in such a way the world had never seen…and would never see again. Roman demigod AU. WARNING: Depictions of war and violence will be present.


**A/N: Hey, guess who's back! ...Again! Yeah, I know I've been really scarce here, but I'll be around a bit more often thanks to this story right here!**

 **This is a little something that I wrote for one of my dearest friends Child at Heart Forever's birthday present, but it ended up so long that it ran months late...then my laptop hard drive crashed and I lost everything, delaying it even more. So I called it quits and decided to split this piece into chapters because why not! She's been waiting long enough!**

 **Hope the rest of you enjoy this as well!**

 **Chapter 1**

Lucy was aware that she wasn't the most normal girl in the land, but even she didn't expect to come across her patron deity during her nights of dream-walking.

She had been strolling through the empty streets of her childhood home—she was always alone within her dreamscapes—when she came across a dark-haired, fair-skinned woman in a simple white gown that reached down to her feet, sitting on the edge of the fountain located in the center of the plaza and trailing her finger across the surface of the water. The woman raised her gaze to meet hers and smiled, as if she'd been expecting her arrival—and Lucy's heart seized up when she realized who it was that she was laying her eyes upon.

"M-Mistress Thea!" she gasped, completely taken aback at the encounter. "I—I had no idea you would—it's such an honor—!"

She felt so flustered that she forgot to bow down—but the goddess didn't seem to mind it.

"It's good to see you, Lucy dear," she greeted her warmly, turning around to face her in full. "So you are now the one that has received my gift of true sight in this age?"

Lucy felt her face flush in nervousness. "Y-yes," she managed, doing her best to keep her composure. "I'm so sorry, but I didn't expect—wh-why are you here?"

The goddess Thea laughed lightly. "No need for such formalities, my dear," she reassured her, waving a hand dismissively. "I can already see that you are truly gifted and well-versed with the burdens that come with this gift of mine. And as for why I am here…" She indicated the space next to her for Lucy to take. "Sit with me here, and I will show you."

Lucy bit her lip and approached her carefully before sitting at the indicated spot, waiting expectantly for the goddess to speak.

"This era has come to a head, my dear Lucy," Thea began, turning and stroking the waters of the fountain once more. "The Fates have decreed that it will soon be the end of an age—and you, my dear, will be the catalyst that brings it about."

"Th-the end of an age?" Lucy repeated uneasily, looking to the goddess frantically. "But what does that mean? What will happen to this world?"

Thea then wordlessly indicated the waters of the fountain—and Lucy could see strange images reflected in its pools.

No…not images…the images were moving about, as if the events were happening just below the surface of the water. This was a vision. Within it, she could see a pink-haired young man wearing a battered tunic and standing in what appeared to be the inside of a stable, tending to a full-grown black stallion under the light of a torch. She couldn't see what was so odd about this image at first—but then she blinked once, and it had changed.

It was still the same young man and horse—at least, it appeared to be, but the man seemed to have a reddish aura about him, and the horse's mane had turned as blue as the oceans. Lucy couldn't stifle the gasp that had escaped at the sight.

"Who is that man?" she asked urgently, looking to the goddess once more. "There's something—he…he seems—"

"Different," Thea finished. She smiled sadly down at the vision of the man, who had just blown out the torch. "Most mortals cannot tell the difference…but he is no ordinary man. He is an outcast, a child of the gods cast out of the realm of the divine under pretense of treason."

Lucy stared at the image again, her jaw agape. "You mean to say…that young man is a demigod?"

 _And he was cast out by the gods for treason_ , she thought apprehensively. _What sort of crime did he commit that he was cast away by the gods?_

"The one that will bring about the end of the age, as the Fates foretold," the goddess said. "And you, my dear, will lead him down his destined path—toward the dawn of a new era."

Lucy couldn't say anything in response as she continued to gaze down at the image again, which now showed the young man fast asleep against several bales of hay. The strange aura from before had gone, and the horse had returned to its dark color. Other than that strange aura, it felt almost impossible to Lucy that someone such as him would bring about the end of an age…

"But…my lady, I don't know who this young man is," Lucy said helplessly. "How am I supposed to guide him down a path if I can't find him?"

"Oh, you needn't worry about such a thing," Thea reassured her, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "He is much closer than you think. You _will_ find him. And he will need your help to face his destiny…"

The goddess stroked the water again, and the vision rippled and shifted—a battle between armies at the floor of a valley. There was no sound, but Lucy could only guess the cacophony that such a vision implied—and then she saw the young man from before.

He looked much different now. He was completely arrayed in battle armor, wielding a golden blade and riding through the sea of enemy soldiers on his black stallion, trampling all those who were unlucky to be in his path. He was covered in wounds and battle scars (particularly nasty scars upon his right cheek and neck), but he was not giving in to the waves of soldiers—his face was twisted in rage as he bellowed a command that she could not hear, his entire body blazing red, as if covered in flames, in the same aura from before.

Thea waved her hand across the surface and made the vision clear away before Lucy could see more.

"He has many hardships coming his way," the goddess said, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder and giving her a firm yet patient gaze. "Not even a demigod can overcome the challenges he is about to face alone. He will need a guide." The goddess smiled. "And that guide will be you."

Lucy suddenly felt incredibly small now that she was faced with this monumental task. "But how will I help him through these challenges?" she lamented, feeling more helpless than ever. "If not even a child of the gods can endure such trials, then how can I—"

"I trust that you will find the answer," the goddess cut in gently. "As your mother did before you, utilize this gift I have bestowed onto your family to aid your people and guide this empire to a brand new age." She then cupped Lucy's cheek in one hand. "I realize that this is quite a bit of news to take in. Thus you won't remember that this conversation ever took place, but your heart is now aware. Trust in it and follow."

"Wh-what?!" Lucy gasped. "But then how—why—?!"

"No need to fear," she assured her, lifting away her hand and rising to her feet. "The young man will do the remembering for you. And as for you, my dear Lucy…" She leaned over and placed a finger over her forehead before Lucy could protest. "It is time for you to wake."

* * *

Natsu bolted upright in a cold sweat in pitch blackness, gripping his head and gasping for breath.

"What—" he panted, struggling to control his breathing. "What was—?!"

He was still in the stables and lying on the bales of hay, the musky scent and warmth confirming this, but he could hardly come to grasps with the fact that he hadn't gone anywhere, his mind whirling wildly. He could've sworn that he had just been in a battlefield fighting for his life—the stark contrast between the dream and reality made him feel light-headed.

He could also distinctly remember a new presence—a young woman with hair as golden as the sun had appeared to him in the midst of the battle, claiming to be his guide toward his destiny. What was that even supposed to mean? Who was she? What destiny was she even speaking of?

"These dreams…" He let the hand gripping his head slip down to cover his face, which was now slick with sweat. "They keep getting worse…what is happening…?"

 _Natsu?_

Natsu flinched slightly at the voice unexpectedly calling his name, even though it was simultaneously familiar and calming. He lifted his gaze and saw that his horse had noticed his awakening and had lowered his head to Natsu's level to check on him.

"Happy," he murmured, raising a hand and striking the horse's muzzle, taking comfort in the familiar feel of his coarse coat. "Sorry…it was just another dream."

Happy nickered softly. _The gods must be sending you a message_ , he said, his words muted. _They must be asking for your help._

Natsu bristled at the horse's words. "Well, it's too late for them," he muttered under his breath. "They cast me away for treason and now expect me to give them favors? How entitled do those pretentious _gods_ think they are?"

Happy tossed his head indignantly. _No matter how you feel, you can't escape the will of the gods_ , he warned. _You know this better than anyone else, Natsu._

Natsu's jaw tightened. "Of course I do," he said through clenched teeth. "And their answer is to send me these confusing dreams instead of coming to me in person like the cowards they are."

The horse huffed, almost sounding like a resigned scoff, before he raised his head and turned away to return to sleep without a word.

Natsu himself exhaled sharply as he lay back down onto the bales of hay, wiping the sweat from his brow as he did so. Apparently it wasn't enough for the gods to send him strange visions through dreams, but to ask him for his help? Whatever they wanted to do, they could figure it out on their own—it had nothing to do with him. If the gods' fate was to fall apart with the world around them, he would simply watch as they collapsed beneath their own folly. It was no less than what they deserved for their foolish pride.

"If you need my help that badly," he muttered to himself, "then just come and find me. I'll give you all the _help_ that you need."

He rolled onto his side, facing away from the horse, his mind wandering back to that golden-haired maiden from his dreams. His spirits sunk, as he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to escape her presence, whenever she appeared.

But that didn't mean it would stop him from trying.

* * *

 **A week later**

"Lucy?" a voice called. "Hurry; you'll be late for the lesson!"

"I'm coming; I'm coming!" Lucy gasped, hurrying down the steps and trying to avoid slipping on the way. "I'm so sorry—I overslept!"

She skidded to a halt in front of the person who had called her—a friend of hers, a petite young girl named Wendy, who was staring at her in surprise.

"Overslept?" she repeated in shock. "But you never oversleep, Lucy!"

"I know; I'm surprised, too," Lucy sighed as they exited the building, finally catching her breath and hefting her knapsack. "It's been like this all week, actually…and I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything extra-strenuous the day before…"

"All your overworking from before must be catching up to you, then," Wendy reasoned, placing a hand on her chin in a brief bout of musing before raising her gaze with a smile and suggesting, "Why don't we talk about this on the way? We can fix your hair later, too."

Lucy blinked. "My hair? What's wrong with it?"

Wendy, whose own deep blue hair was pinned up in two neat buns, simply giggled and pulled her along down the busy dirt path, passing by vendors and street urchins on their way. The streets were always lively, and it was always a joy for Lucy to walk through them and naturally receive the energy of the place. It told her that the city was in good health, and nothing made her happier.

"The city is so lively today," Lucy remarked, looking around her and observing the people wandering about.

"That's good news," Wendy said happily, looking up at Lucy with a vibrant smile, "That means you can practice without a worry in the world—and I'll be there to make sure you keep going!"

Lucy giggled. "No healer in this city is as gifted as you," she teased her friend, elbowing her playfully. "I know I'm in capable hands with you around."

Wendy's face flushed a bright pink at her words. "W-well, Grandine taught me everything she knows," she said, staring down at the dirt path in embarrassment. "It's only thanks to her that I know so much, so…"

"Don't be so modest, Wendy." Lucy tried to stifle her laughter when she saw her friend's _anima_ fluctuate wildly—Wendy was feeling extremely flustered at the moment. "It's amazing that you were able to grasp those concepts so quickly. Even I have trouble keeping track of which herbs do what and how to tell them apart from poisonous lookalikes."

Wendy's _anima_ began to undulate steadily—she was feeling pleased with herself, which made Lucy smile in satisfaction. It was often so hard to get Wendy to take credit for her work that seeing that made it all the more worthwhile.

"I just feel guilty for running late on your first day of lessons, Wendy," Lucy said in embarrassment, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I knew you were excited about it, but—"

"Oh, it's all right!" Wendy assured her. "I wouldn't have gone without you anyway, Lucy!"

In the midst of their talking, the two finally arrived at their destination—a horse ranch owned by an old friend of Wendy's apothecary teacher. The owner—a red-headed old man aged about in his sixties—was already waiting for them out front in his faded brown tunic, waving at them to catch their attention.

"Oh, no; he was waiting for us!" Wendy said worriedly. "Let's hurry!"

The two girls jogged up to the old man, who only chuckled once they'd approached.

"Well, isn't this a first," he rumbled heartily, crossing his arms. "I don't think you've ever been late to your lessons before!"

"We're so sorry, Igneel!" Lucy apologized, bowing her head in shame. "It's my fault—I overslept this morning, and I made the two of us run late!"

"I was surprised, too," Wendy admitted, flashing Lucy a knowing grin. "Her hard work is catching up to her now."

Igneel laughed heartily at her friend's words as Lucy frantically tried to dissuade her.

"Wendy, don't lie to him!" she said anxiously. She had no cause to worry; Igneel's _anima_ didn't show in any way that he was angry, but she didn't want him to get the wrong opinion of her, in any case.

"It's nothing to worry about, my dears," Igneel assured them, clapping both girls on their shoulders. "How about you get to your companion, eh, Lucy?" He turned to Wendy. "And there's a wide selection of fine specimens you can choose from, dear. Now go on; they're waiting for you!"

He then led the two into the stables, where their rides were waiting. The stables were large, housing about twenty stalls lining either side. The majority of them were unoccupied, but several did house horses of many breeds and shades ranging from pure white, pearly gray, dark bay to black. A white stallion near the entrance tossed his mane and whinnied shrilly at the sight of the guests, reaching out toward Lucy once she was in reaching distance and bopping her cheek lightly with his snout.

Lucy laughed in spite of herself and stroked the horse's muzzle. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, Plue," she apologized, giving him a light peck on his nose. "Let's practice extra-hard today to make up for it, all right?"

The horse snorted, as if in agreement, and nudged her with his snout again. Clearly, he was eager to get out of the stall and run freely, his _anima_ pulsing in eagerness.

"I trust that you know how to prepare him for a ride, Lucy," Igneel said, a twinkle in his eyes. "I already have the range set up for you, but surely you won't need my help with Plue."

Lucy smiled back confidently. "Yes, I can do it myself," she said. "Wendy will need your help more than I do."

Wendy flushed and quickly bowed. "Thank you for agreeing to teach me," she said gratefully. "I'll do my best!"

"I expect no less!" He then steered Wendy down the line of horses and began listing the qualities of each one to her, while Lucy moved to turn back to the white stallion—as she did so, her eyes caught sight of a horse she hadn't seen in the stables before. It was a magnificent specimen, a purebred Armenian with a shiny black coat and mane, standing placidly in the farthest right stall and quietly observing its surroundings.

"Igneel, did you get a new horse?" Lucy called out before he got too far. "I don't think I've seen that one at the very back before."

Igneel looked in the direction Lucy had indicated before turning back to her and answering, "Oh, no; he's not like the others. He already has a quite competent rider; this stable is just where we shelter him from the elements."

Lucy frowned in confusion and returned her attention to the stallion as Igneel turned back to Wendy, who was now showing interest in a dapple gray mare. A stallion that already had a reserved rider? Igneel was well-known for his breeding of favored horses for the army, of course, but he usually housed the horses reserved for cavalry in a separate stable. Who could this stallion belong to?

Not to mention, this horse seemed to possess a particularly strong _anima_ —almost like that of a human's. She'd learned to recognize that humans and animals had differing _anima_ , so this was a rather stark contrast to what she was used to. She had a feeling that this stallion was more than it appeared to be—but an impatient nicker and another firm nudge on her shoulder forced her to set aside the question for another time.

Even as she saddled up her ride, she couldn't fight off this particularly nagging feeling…she felt sure that she'd seen that horse somewhere before.

But where?

* * *

True to her promise, the two of them had practiced until late in the evening—the sun was beginning to set and bathe the landscape in a brilliant orange by the time the four had finished for the day. As per usual, Igneel had driven them hard, and by the time Lucy and Wendy made to lead their steeds into the stable, Igneel following close behind, they were both sweating and exhausted, yet well pleased with the fruits of the lesson.

"Wendy, you rode really well for your first time," Lucy complimented her friend as they led their horses back to the stables.

Wendy's face flushed with pleasure, her _anima_ also fluctuating in embarrassment at her words. "Th-thank you, Lucy," she said gratefully, twining her fingers together, gripping her lead with both hands. "But Charle just responded to what I wanted her to do. It was almost like she was reading my mind." She then lifted a hand and gently rubbed the mare's neck, and Charle proceeded to grunt softly in response. Wendy then lifted her gaze to meet Lucy's her eyes gleaming in admiration. "But Lucy…you were even more amazing. I couldn't possibly dream of managing archery on horseback! I can hardly believe you even need the lessons!"

Lucy giggled lightly. "Well, it never hurts to practice, right?" she remarked teasingly.

Igneel surprised the two of them by clapping the two on their shoulders. "The both of you did splendidly," he said without any reserve. "About time you give yourselves a good rest, eh? You have a week to recuperate, and it's back to work!"

"Thanks so much again for your help, Igneel," Lucy said gratefully. "And thank you for agreeing to teach Wendy, too—it's been a great help to her."

Wendy bowed yet again. "It's been a pleasure today, Igneel," she said with a smile. "I'm already looking forward to the next lesson!"

The three of them went on this way, making idle chatter as they finally approached the stables and entered through the front—and were abruptly met with an unexpected guest.

At the opposite end of the stables, standing in front of the black stallion that Lucy had inquired about earlier, was a pink-haired young man in a plain gold-trimmed tunic, a red sash tied over his left shoulder, and sandals. He was half-turned toward the entrance and—judging by the surprised expression plastered on his face right at the moment they'd entered—it was clear that he hadn't been expecting anyone to come in. His expression was also odd—she could've sworn that his earlier surprised expression quickly flickered to that of terror in the moment that he locked eyes with her. Of course, she could've been wrong since he had looked away in practically the same moment, much too quickly for most people to notice…but his inhuman _anima_ told her otherwise.

It made her heart skip a beat.

 _This_ anima _…_ she thought to herself wildly. _It's so powerful…it can't possibly be human, but…!_

Indeed, the aura emanating from this young man was unlike anything Lucy had ever seen in her lifetime before. It was extremely powerful, so much that he seemed to be practically glowing in the dim interior of the stables. Moreover, this _anima_ had a color—a bright red, like a smoldering flame. Like any other person's _anima_ in his position, his was wavering with apprehension, but it still felt…incredibly _different_.

He definitely _looked_ human, but with an _anima_ this strong, he had to be something more…right?

"Ah, Natsu!" Igneel called out before any of them could make another move, striding over to the young man. "Finally up and about, are you? Good to see that!"

As the elderly rancher approached the man and clapped him hard on the shoulder, engaged in an inaudible conversation with him, Lucy leaned over to Wendy and whispered, "Wendy, you know who that is?"

"Oh, yes!" she replied easily with a smile. "He's actually the first patient I ever treated on my own several weeks back. He gave his name as Natsu."

"I see…" Lucy frowned. "I didn't know Igneel had a son…"

It was certainly a surprise to her—and the widowed rancher didn't seem to be the kind of man to adopt, either…

She turned out to be wrong, however, when she saw Wendy shaking her head.

"I don't think they're related by blood," she explained. "The way Igneel spoke of him the day he came to me for help, well…it didn't seem like they were acquainted in any sense." She shrugged lightly. "I think it's more likely that Igneel simply came across him and wanted to help."

Lucy nodded absently, lost in thought. "I—I see…"

It definitely did sound like something Igneel would do, but neither he nor Wendy noticed how odd he seemed to be? Even outside of the strange _anima_ , his mannerisms were guarded and wary…suspicious, even. And she couldn't shake this odd feeling that she'd seen him somewhere before…maybe she'd caught him in a crowd at some point? But then why hadn't she noticed him this way then? He would've stood out to her in any crowd with the strength of this presence.

Wendy tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?" she asked in concern, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Lucy started at her friend's words. "N-no, I'm fine," she answered quickly. "I was just curious, is all."

In an effort to distract herself, she looked up and smiled at the pair—Igneel was now bringing the young man over, who seemed extremely reluctant. He was still looking away, carefully avoiding her gaze, and he was standing as far back as Igneel would allow him. His blazing aura made it easy enough for Lucy to drown out Wendy's steadily growing concern, since it easily stifled every other presence in the stables.

"This is as good a time as any to get acquainted," Igneel declared, his hand firmly on the young man's shoulder. "Lucy, this here is Natsu. I found him near the springs, when I left to draw some water for the stables."

Lucy inclined her head awkwardly. "N-nice to meet you," she managed, trying to avoid staring too obviously.

Natsu didn't respond to her right away—he scrutinized her carefully for a moment, his stormy gray eyes narrowed. As she stood there and bit her lip, waiting for a response, she observed his appearance more minutely since she could now make out more of his features. She could see that his ears had been pierced, as she noticed each ear had two hoops and a dangling crystal. He was also scarred—on his right cheek and right side of his neck.

She found herself wondering how he had gotten them (they were rather large), but before she could even think of opening her mouth to ask, he flicked his gaze away yet again and murmured a short, "Likewise" in response.

…Yes, it was pretty clear to Lucy now that this Natsu wasn't very pleased to see her…which didn't make much sense since the two of them hadn't met before today. Perhaps he knew something about her ability to "see", though that knowledge was only privy to those who lived in this city, and Igneel had said he'd found him near the springs, located in the woods behind his residence, which was a fair distance from the city limits…in other words, he was an outsider.

Just who was he? Something definitely didn't feel right with her, and this nagging itch in her mind indicating her familiarity with him only exacerbated this.

Thankfully, Igneel broke the tension between the two of them before it got too comfortable.

"In any case, it's heartening to see that you're moving about, but should you be pushing yourself so soon?" he asked. "And it's already getting too dark for a ride out, if that was what you were planning…"

Natsu sighed and lightly brushed Igneel's hand off of his shoulders, shooting the man a put-upon gaze as he said, "It'll be fine, Igneel; I'm only going out into the woods out back for fresh air." He then shot a glance at the black stallion behind him. "Besides, Happy won't let any harm come to me. He's the overprotective sort."

The stallion whinnied shrilly in response to his words, and Lucy could swear that she saw Natsu smile to himself at the horse's behavior as if he was sharing an inside joke, but it vanished too quickly for her to be sure.

Igneel frowned, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but Wendy spoke up then with a reassuring, "I'm sure he'll be fine, Igneel. A short ride won't hurt him."

At her words, the old man conceded—but sternly scolded Natsu to come home before dark before breaking away from him, exiting the stables and retiring to his quarters. Lucy saw the young man roll his eyes behind Igneel's back as he, too, moved away to attend to his business, and she had to work to stifle her laughter.

Wendy tapped her on the arm to get her attention. "We should probably turn Plue and Charle into their stalls now and gather the equipment before it gets too dark, Lucy," she advised.

Lucy nodded. "Good plan," she said. She turned again in spite of herself toward the back of the stables, where Natsu was now stroking the stallion's snout. She quickly averted her gaze before he could notice her and set to return Plue to his stall, doing her best to ignore his incredibly distracting _anima_ —but in mere moments, it was practically demanding her attention.

It wasn't an _order_ , per se, but it was definitely emanating a powerful desire for her obedience—it was so direct, in fact, that Lucy whipped up her gaze yet again in surprise at Natsu, who was now leading the stallion out of his stall, the lead in one hand and a lit lantern in another, as he exited through the back entrance of the stables. He wasn't looking her way, speaking a word, or giving any sort of indication that he was acknowledging her presence, but it was still pretty clear to her what he wanted.

He wanted to talk to her.

Lucy bit her lip and looked away, doing her best to focus on undoing the straps and harness on Plue. She felt like she was stuck in an uncomfortable and awkward position; she wasn't sure how she should respond to this. On one hand, she felt that following him was an important thing to do (because he'd practically utilized his own _anima_ as a means of communication, and it wouldn't have been smart to ignore either way), but on the other hand, she'd be going off with a possible non-human she'd just met after hours—not to mention Wendy was with her, and she'd start asking questions if she made any move to follow him without saying anything…

What was she to do…?

"Lucy, are you all right?" Wendy's voice called from the outside (goodness, she'd been so caught up in the unnatural _anima_ that she hadn't even noticed her friend exiting the stables). "What's taking so long?"

Lucy muttered a curse under her breath for being careless, but she figured she should use this situation to her advantage all the same. "I'm fine; don't worry!" she called back as she hung up the harness. "It's just taking a bit longer than usual; it's nothing to worry about! You can go ahead without me!"

"B-but—" Wendy didn't make a move—Lucy could feel her hesitating. "It's getting dark, Lucy! Your father will worry!"

She bristled at the mention of her father. "It'll be fine; I hardly doubt he'll even have time to worry about me," she answered, doing her best to keep her voice even. "Just tell him that I'll be late! You should hurry and go before Grandine comes calling for you!"

Thankfully, that was enough to convince her friend—which was good, because Lucy had run out of excuses at that point.

"W-well…all right then," she heard Wendy say, her voice slowly moving away from the stables. "I—I'll go let him know. But please hurry!"

Lucy waited until she could no longer feel Wendy's presence anywhere near the ranch before she released the breath that she'd been holding before turning to the back exit of the stables and hurrying outside, following the path that he had gone.

She just had a feeling that whatever happened from this point on, things _would_ be different.

* * *

Natsu sat at the shore of the spring, absentmindedly skipping stones across the rippling surface of the water in the light of the lantern. The sun had gone well past the horizon by this point in time, so a chill was starting to set in through the forest clearing—though he barely noticed it.

In spite of the significance this place supposedly held to him, he rather liked it here, especially after the sun had set. In the light of the lantern, the ripples on the surface of the spring looked as if fire was dancing across the crests of the miniscule waves. The forest around him was eerily silent, but he found it comforting in a sense. He felt truly alone whenever he came here—which had been difficult for him to feel in general since arriving at this place.

 _Natsu_. Happy nudged him on the shoulder in the middle of his thoughts. _She's here._

He sighed and flung the pebble that he'd been holding into the spring without bothering to skip it, and the stone sunk to the bottom of the spring.

"I know you're here," he called out. "There's no point in hiding, so show yourself."

About a heartbeat had passed before he heard the clattering of rocks, indicating her approach. It paused about several paces behind him.

"You…wanted to talk to me?" she asked. She wasn't moving from her spot.

So she _could_ see…she'd gotten his message. "Not overly, no," he answered frankly, picking out a round pebble at his feet and hefting its weight in his hand, "but I do want to know something."

"H-huh?"

He lifted the pebble up to eye level and observed it as he continued to speak. "I've seen you in my dreams," he said. "It's always the same, each time…you appear to me in the midst of a battlefield, telling me that you would be the guide that would lead me toward my destiny, or some such—I couldn't make much sense of it." He then flung the pebble across the spring so far that it landed in the waters of the opposite shore, and he watched the water ripple from where the pebble had sunk. "In light of that, I have some questions for you." He finally turned in order to face the girl, who seemed to be much more confused than flustered, as he'd expected her to be. "Who are you? What did you mean when you said you'd be my guide? And what destiny are you talking about?"

It seemed to take the girl a moment to gather herself enough to respond—and she was a flustered mess by the time she'd managed it.

"Wh-what are you even _talking_ about?!" she exclaimed in incredulity, throwing her hands up in the air in her confusion. "How would I know?! I don't even know what any of that _is_ , let alone able to tell you anything about it!" She stepped forward and jabbed a finger in his direction before declaring, "In fact, how about _you_ explain those things to me? Because I have no idea what you're talking about! You should explain yourself before asking anyone questions like that!"

Natsu narrowed his eyes in a frown. Had he made a mistake? Was he talking to the wrong maiden? That could have been possible, but then…how would she have known that he'd wanted to speak with her?

"Let me rephrase myself, then." He moved his lantern aside so that he was free to turn around in full to face her.

"You can see me," he said, promptly causing her to freeze on the spot. "Can't you?"


End file.
